Sampaoli rues Atlético's blunt attack in Fortaleza defeat

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·01 de dezembro de 2025

Sampaoli rues Atlético's blunt attack in Fortaleza defeat

After the 1-0 defeat to Fortaleza this Sunday (30) at Arena Castelão, coach Jorge Sampaoli analyzed Atlético's performance in a press conference and highlighted that the main difference between the teams was their ability to make decisive plays in the penalty areas. The match, part of the 35th round of the Brasileirão, ended with a goal by Pochettino in the 40th minute of the first half.

According to the coach, despite the wide territorial dominance and the high number of passes in the offensive field, Galo was unable to turn game control into clear chances. Sampaoli acknowledged that the opponent was more effective in attacking actions:

Vídeos OneFootball

The analysis of the game today is that the rival team performed better in the areas. They had more offensive weight than us. We had many passes in the offensive field, much more ball possession, and some chances to equalize.

For the coach, Fortaleza is going through a good phase and knew how to take advantage of the only great chance they had in the match:

We knew that Fortaleza was in a good moment, collectively and mentally they are strong. They have very influential players in the area. Surely it would be a difficult match. We had control at various moments of the game, some situations (to score). If we had scored first, the game would have changed.

Dominance without creation and frustration with the lack of effectiveness

The coach again highlighted Atlético's difficulty in turning ball possession into real danger for goalkeeper Brenno.

It was a difficult game, we tried to make some changes, but we couldn't turn the dominance in the opponent's field, with the number of passes in the opponent's field, into much danger. Now we have to work for the game we will have at home.

Sampaoli also mentioned recent points lost in the final minutes, lamenting results that could have placed Galo in a more comfortable position in the standings.

My concern is for the team to win. We will have the game in our stadium against a very strong opponent (Palmeiras). Against Flamengo, who were the Libertadores champions, we failed to win in the final minute. Against Fortaleza itself, we also conceded the equalizer at the end. We need to win to continue pursuing our goals.

Situation in the standings and upcoming matches

With the defeat, Atlético remained with 45 points and finished the round in 13th place. Fortaleza, on the other hand, reached 40 points and is just one point away from leaving the relegation zone — Santos, the first team outside the Z-4, has 41.

Galo returns to the field next Wednesday (3), when they host Palmeiras at Arena MRV at 9:30 PM.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.